Pen Pals
by Drunken Philosophies
Summary: Korra and Asami were pen pals. They still are... but now they're more than that. (Originally a short one-off written for noodl3guy for Korrasami Secret Santa 2014, but it has since grown.)
1. Chapter 1

**NOTE FOR ALL: **

**So...this place has been dead for a while. Lemme begin with saying that I've edited these first three chapters (Was I high while writing? I mean some of this made me want to hit myself.) So they should be of higher quality and grammar now. And past tense.**

**Then I wanted to say...enjoy this story that has now become something fully developed, with a new beginning, a middle, and eventually an end. Yay! **

**A warning though: Updates will appear ****_very _****sporadically since I am working on this and my main fic at the same time, and then there's life of course.**

**_PEN PALS_**

Korra stumbled through the door, fumbling with groceries in her arms whilst reaching for a light switch. She almost tripped over all two pairs of shoes in the narrow hallway. _Someday I should get a rack for these, or learn to just fucken move 'em to the side_. Finally she found the switch and filled the apartment with light. It was barebones, to say the least. A few IKEA furnishings here and there. It was a new place that she just moved in to, and the important thing was that it was hers and hers only.

Kicking off a pair of worn running shoes, Korra struggled to move through her new dwelling, bumping into walls as her frame was even larger holding three paper bags.

"_Ma'am? D-do you need help carrying that?"_ She remembers the scrawny kid at the counter asking her, and the reply she'd given was perhaps a bit excessive.

"_DO I LOOK LIKE I NEED YOUR GODDAMN HELP?!"_

He just looked too much like her asshole uncle Unalaaq that she couldn't help it. A weak, skinny version of Unalaaq.

After going through the tedious work of putting together dinner and eating her fifth substantial meal of the day by herself, Korra's legs were about to fall out under her as she collapsed onto a chair in front of a desk. Above hung a pair of padded midnight-blue gloves. Her scar-ridden hands searched for a stack of paper, grabbing a sheet and a pen, and they began pouring themselves into a letter.

_**Dear Asami,**_

_**Today was one of the hardest days of my life.**_

_**Mako and Bolin kept bugging me about going to some club. I accidentally promised them I would go and they're all in a tizzy now. You might be wondering how I 'accidentally' agreed to something. Let's just say I wasn't on earth at the time. I was honestly thinking about you. I was hoping we could meet next month maybe? I know you've been super busy, what with your dad breathing down your neck about those new designs. Don't worry about it though if you can't, I'm busy too so I guess we've got that in common.**_

Korra stopped writing, thinking she would finish the letter tomorrow. She folded it neatly and tucked it into an envelope, leaving it open. A stamp decorated with the Future Industries logo was fished out of a plastic bag that was filled with them, and she fastened it onto the envelope. They were all sent by Asami so Korra could never run out and never stopped sending messages.

She sighed contentedly, holding the piece of paper to her chest. Her best friend, which she had never met and who lived thousands of miles away, was also her love interest, and the woman had no idea. Daughter to a powerful business tycoon, and pen pal to little old Korra. Little-old-Korra had mentioned this several times to Asami-destined-for-greatness-Sato, but being the modest genius she was, she said that that didn't matter.

Korra got a lot of unique insight into the world of business through Asami. A lot of it confused her since as a professional boxer she had no idea about that sort of life. They had both confessed many things and become as close as they could over the tremendous distance. Korra figured she should ask Asami for her phone number or Skype so they could actually see each other or hear each other's voices. Small steps. Might be too fast to say she loved her without ever meeting her, but she just seemed like the most perfect person in the world and it puzzled her as to why a rich, successful woman like that would ever want to befriend someone like her. But Korra was grateful for it nonetheless.

"Look who made it, guys! Told you we'd convince her!"

"Shut up Bo. It's not like I had a choice," Korra retorted.

"Come on, let's go inside," Mako quickly intervened.

Upon entering, Korra immediately felt uncomfortable. She didn't hate parties, not at all, but that was when she actually knew the people there and could talk to them. This was a generic dance club (no wonder the brothers wanted to come here). Of course she could talk to someone if she wanted to, but she knew there was no one here of interest to her. If she went out, Korra would maybe go to a karaoke bar (of all places). Anywhere was better than here. Everyone was hopping and stomping on the floor to some repetitive, bass-heavy electronic music. Asami knew how hypocritical Korra was to criticize these types of songs in favor of, for example, reggae. She had no idea why that genre in particular was so appealing to her. Maybe it had something to do with her tribal roots? The young woman wished she was at home again so she could talk to, or at least, write to her best friend. The one who understood her the best. Some might have said that having a pen pal as a best friend was a weird thing and she brought this up too with Asami who just laughed (or she wrote that she laughed, showing that she and Korra had similar humor).

"Earth to Korra!" Bolin hollered. "You comin'?"

The burly man known as Bolin already had Opal under his arm and was dragging her to the bar for an early drink. Early because this was gonna be a long night, she knew from experience. Korra was probably gonna end up driving them all home piss-drunk.

"Hey, you alright? You're not bailing on us already are you?" Mako asked into her ear.

"No! No of course not. Let's get a drink," she yelled back over the loud music. Korra did not want to have the same experience twice of cleaning up the car from chunks of... No, this time it was their turn to take care of her at her worst. She'd had a bad day and she needed this. The regret of coming to the club was soon fading as she neared a fourth shot and shouted along with her mates through the night.

"That was amazing! I had no ideaaaa—that you could do that, Korrrraa!" Opal slurred, giggled, and repeated the sound _'orrraa!'_ to herself multiple times. No one looked at her funny, they all looked pretty funny.

"Yeah, neither did I," she garbled back, stumbling forth. "That was the first," _and only_, she adds in her mind, "time I spit fire in my life." Her throat still burned and she was sure it would continue doing so in the morning. Or, later on in the morning. She didn't get a good enough look at the clock (even though she stood staring at it for at least a minute) but it must have been after four.

"You looked really good up there," Mako complimented, just as dazed as the rest of them. "Half the bar was cheering you on."

"Who knew what a fierce combination some alcohol and a lighter could be?" Korra was amazed at her own ability at forming words.

"I sure didn't." Bolin hiccuped. "And what more I don't know, besides grade five math, is how the hell we're gonna get home." Bolin pointed out. Surprisingly, he was the only one still somewhat conscious even though he drank just as much if not more. He did lose to Korra in a drinking game however.

The four of them stopped gallivanting at the curb and simultaneously jolted their fists out to the street.

"No you idiot, that's not how you hitchhike," Opal slapped her hand over her forehead clumsily, hitting herself harder than she intended.

"Pretty sure this' how you do it," said Bolin, his hand forming a thumbs down. Okay, maybe not so sober after all.

Both Mako and Korra burst into a laughing stupor and were surprised when a car came to a halt in front of them. Realizing it was a taxi cab after much foggy scrutinizing, they all filed into the backseat. Korra heard Mako attempt to bark out an address like he was impersonating a naval commander, earning some more laughter from the pair beside him. Korra didn't hear much more after that and wasn't aware of her eyes closing until it was too late.

The next thing she became painfully aware of was the hazy delirium following a rowdy night out; one of the most intense hangovers Korra had ever experienced. There was not a clue in sight to explain how she had ended up in her own bed at her own apartment. She could have sworn Mako grumbled his own address to the driver. Well, Korra didn't give it too much thought as she sat up and felt her insides almost boil, telling her that they were on the way up and out. _Shit, this cramped apartment and my drunk-ass do not go together. _Her strong but flailing legs did a poor job of leading her to the bathroom, and like she predicted there were many a wall in her way, but thankfully she did reach her destination in time and hurled her guts into the toilet bowl.

"Eww gross."

"Bolin! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed. He was busy brushing his teeth, which somehow Korra didn't notice upon entering, which made her think about what else she might have missed. "Did you have sex on my couch?"

"What no of course not why would you say such a thing? Korra stop being ridiculous. You're being ridiculous right now Korra stop it," he suddenly spoke faster than his tongue could keep up with, it being stuck around the brush in his mouth.

She just scowled at him and flushed the toilet, shoving Bolin away from the sink to clean herself up.

When she went back into her room she noticed the letter she was writing last night was missing. "Umm, guys... did any of you happen to see an envelope on my desk last night?"

"Yeah, Mako came into your room to check up on you and saw it laid open, and you were passed out lying dead to the world in bed," Bolin shouted from the bathroom, the tap running, drowning him out.

"So you're saying he took the opportunity."

"It was very sweet what you wrote, he told me."

"What? What did I write!" Korra demanded, going back into the bathroom and hoisting Bolin up against the wall with one arm. He squeaked like a deflating balloon and dropped his toothbrush. "Don't tell me he already left," she asked, then dropped her friend when his eyes regretfully told her yes. So she ran.

There was still hope that she'd catch up to Mako before he'd reach the post office and send the letter. How did she not realize this was going to happen? How could her friends be so evil to her? If that letter reached Asami then she'd never get to talk to her best friend again. It broke her heart and she felt her azure eyes twinkle with tears for a moment before she blinked them away.

Holding on vainly to that thin string of hope, she rounded the corner and bumped into Mako himself, just leaving the post office.

"What have you done?" she thrusted her arms into his chest.

"Uhh, helped save your love life?" he began shaking slightly in Korra's grasp, though the rough-n-tough, moody detective would never admit that.

"No! You ruined it!" Korra started pounding on poor Mako's ribcage. "I'll never get to talk to her again!" Korra cried, and grabbed Mako's coat, pulling her face harshly into his chest and sobbed.

Seeing he might have gone a bit too far this time, he apologized, not realizing just how much Asami might have meant to her. And those are the key-words that filled him with guilt. _Might have._

"Don't talk to me," she spat, calm and stoic with tears flowing down her cheeks, then she ran away as he desperately called after her.

**ONE WEEK LATER**

Korra lied in bed sulking. The creaking piece-of-shit excuse for a bed had been her habitat over the last week. She hadn't really gone out, except to the gym to vent, but that always ended up with her curling up into a fetal position. There was no one around in the gym at the hours she was there, further emphasizing how lonely she was. Her friends kept texting and trying to call her but she hadn't touched her phone since the day that ruined her life.

After running away from Mako, she tried to write another letter, explaining what had happened. That the love confession she wrote when she was drunk was not true. Well it was, but she couldn't let Asami know that. Korra made some calls too, trying to get in contact with the people in charge of international mail, futilely asking them if they could retrieve her letter and stop it from travelling halfway around the world.

After seven days, no response from the heiress, she stopped hoping and just cried herself to sleep. Every night. It wasn't like her. Not that she wasn't emotional, she was, but she was never one to self-pity. _I guess it just goes to show how much she meant to me, and how much I don't deserve her._

**Knock.**

Had she heard wrong or was that a knock?

**Knock.**

She looked down on her bed. It must have creaked under her weight or something. Yeah, it was cheap for a reason.

**Knock. Knock.**

Okay, that was definitely not her bed. It's the door. _I swear if it's Mako, Bolin, and Opal..._

**KNOCK KNOCK.**

"Okay, okay! Hold your fucking horses! Jesus Christ, I hope there's a good reason f...

In front of her stood the most magnificent creature Korra had ever laid eyes upon. Dark, flowing, silky hair. Absolutely stunning, shining emerald eyes. They were a tad bloodshot, and it made Korra furious towards the person who'd made this gorgeous woman cry.

"Hi," she simply said.

"Hi," she simply replied.

Then, she simply kissed her.


	2. Chapter 2

"...Asami?"

"Korra..."

The two women stood embracing each other in the hallway.

"H-How d'you know where to find me?"

"Your address is on all the letters you dork."

"Oh right."

Even though it was the first time they'd ever met in person, and as inherently strange as it was to be hugging a stranger (but not even, because they were best friends), it felt right. It felt normal, like they've been doing it for years. They had been doing it for years.

"I didn't know it was you."

"Neither did I."

"But you still kissed me?"

"You were too beautiful not to."

Korra blushed. Their foreheads were touching as the conversation continued, both their eyes closed from that long, passionate kiss. "I've been waiting so long to hear your voice and finally see you."

"Well?" came her sing-song voice.

"Well what?" Korra was confused.

"What do you think? About me?"

She paused, not even thinking for a moment. "I like your hair, and you smell nice. Your eyes are gorgeous, and I can live with you being a bit taller than me. And...your voice is the sexiest I've ever ever heard."

Asami replied just as fast. "I was about to drown in your eyes when I barged in here. I like that you're short, even though you could probably lift three of me with one arm. And I too like your hair." Asami ran her manicured fingers through a brown bob.

"What made you come here?"

"Oh please, like I could turn down that sweet letter of yours."

"What did it say?"

"You don't know what you wrote?"

"No. I was drunk. Mako took it from me and sent it without me wanting to."

"Is that why you were crying?"

"Yes. But now I am for another reason. Why were you crying?"

"Because I came here to tell you that I love you too, Korra."

Her brain threatened to fry from those words, though she kept sane for the time being. "But we just met..."

Asami giggled. "We've known each other for more than three years. Not in person, but still pretty damn personally if you know what I mean."

Korra smiled softly and shoved her—dare she say it?—new girlfriend, playfully.

"Well I'm here now anyway," Asami said as she reluctantly broke away, but only far enough so they could still hold each other. "Open your eyes, please?"

Korra's cerluean orbs, shut in the bliss of her best friend finally being here with her, fluttered open ever so slowly.

"There we go," said Asami.

They kissed again. It was softer than their very first one.


	3. Chapter 3

Bolin peeked his head in. Strange. The door was open. His company trailed after him like ducklings chasing after their mother as he entered Korra's new apartment. _Maybe she went out and forgot to close the door._ _No, who does that? I mean, except for me._ Opal, who was crouching behind her boyfriend, walked ahead and _prepared to ask anybody if they were home._

"No!" Bolin frantically whispered and grabbed her fearfully. "Let's just get what we came for and leave!"

"We have to check and see if she's alright at least!" Opal hissed. "If she's even here..."

Mako third wheeled the couple and begun searching for their clothes that were left upon Korra coming home and yelling at Bolin and Opal to leave. That was after she was heartbroken. Mako still felt incredibly stupid, and even more remorseful now that the three of them are lurking around her flat. No one had seen or heard from her after that day. Her wrath kept them far away for at least three days before anyone even gathered enough courage to attempt to call the professional fighter.

"Here! I found them!" Opal whispered and threw a shirt at Bolin who gracefully catched the garment with his face and plummeted head first into a wall, possibly denting it and his own skull.

"Shh!" Opal shushed.

Mako choked trying to keep his laughter in. Bolin shot him an incredulous glare, as if to say:_ You're_ _my brother! You're supposed to help me not laugh at me!_ "Alright, let's go!" Mako whispered, refocusing on the task at hand. Which involved getting the hell out of there as fast as possible because they may have just alerted Korra if she was home, and her finding the three of them like this, with a new crack in the new wall of her new apartment (that will most certainly cost her the security deposit)...it was time to leave.

"No wait, we have to see if she's okay." Opal crouched and started sneaking towards the bedroom. The brothers got prone too and cautiously followed her, Bolin shaking his head to clear his mind and his hair of plaster.

The door was closed so they had no idea if she was in there, and the last thing they wanted to do was wake Korra if she was sleeping. Bolin did mention seeing the woman busting up a sand bag at the gym. He ran before she could spot him through the window and snap his neck clean off. Bolin likes having his neck intact and head attached to his body.

"Opal, I don't know if this is such a good idea," the burly man's teeth clattered around his nails.

Opal rolled her eyes at him and reached up to the handle and opened the door slowly, peeking in. She gradually spotted stacks of letters strewn about, brought out of emptied cardboard boxes. More and more revealed as she pushed the door aside, until it got stuck, right before she could see up to the bed. She pried open the last part of the door, accidentally knocking over a stack of papers on the other side. The letters all filed out on the floor and the three intruders sat as silently as possible in the doorway, closed eyes and crossed fingers. They only listened. After a few moments of quiet, there was a shuffling of sheets. Oh man they were _fucked__._

"Asami? Did you hear that?" Korra asked, groggy from waking up after her nap.

Opal turned to her boyfriend and his brother. They shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders as she mouthed: "_Asami?_"

"Hey, who's there?" Korra asked, frozen in her bed, certain she just heard something.

The three musketeers stayed silent. Closed their eyes again, wishing they could turn invisible. More rustling. Footsteps.

"Opal?"

Realizing it was a lost cause, the holy trinity opened their gazes to find a very disheveled and very disturbed looking Korra. "Hi Korra." The smaller woman and her boyfriend said simultaneously, both grinning sheepishly, glancing up whilst Mako sighed in the back. The couple both got the urge to shut him up.

"Bolin? Mako?! What the hell are you guys doing in my apartment?"

"S-Sorry! Just picking up some stuff that we left!" Said Bolin, raising up the shirt in his hand, and Opal's underwear. The woman who the undergarment belonged to slapped a hand over her head, more gracefully this time. Bolin noticed shortly afterwards to which his eyes widened, making him self-consciously lower his hand.

"Why didn't you just ring the bell?" Korra asked. They all stare at her and she suddenly feels self-conscious. Not because she's insecure, but she's half-naked and all of them are fully clothed, albeit she's not so sure about that seeing as Bolin is holding up a bra. "What!" Her face grew red while trying to cover herself.

"You're not mad?" Mako asked, raising his tone at the end, as if _'maaAAD?'_ was all he knew her to be. Well, that may be true, in retrospect.

"About what?" Korra spoke soft. Too softly. In a voice and tone that Korra would never use, unless addressing Tenzin's children, and especially not on three people who broke into her flat and who also ruined her love life a week before.

"Who's Asami?" Bolin clasped a hand on his lips. Opal followed suit and suddenly the man had four hands on his blabbering mouth.

But Korra just turned rose red. "Uh... I–uh, she's..."

"Korra? What's going on?" came a yawning, angelic voice from inside the bedroom.

"Oh nothing, babe! Go back to sleep!" she answered. Now the three burglars were very confused. Korra turned to them again with a scowl. Bolin instinctively raised his arms in defense. "You need to get out of my apartment right fucking now, okay?" she whispered out of earshot of the other person in her room. It looked like she was telling off three kids with their hands stuck down a cookie jar.

"Korra, we're sorry," Opal apologized, whispering back.

Korra sighed and deflated. "I know," she responded. "We'll talk later, I just–"

"Sweetie, who are you talking to?" Asami asked, now sounding much more awake.

_'Fuck', _Korra mouthed. She looked back at Asami, then opened the door fully to reveal the three intruders, still crouching mischievously on the floor.

"Oh," the woman simply said. "Hi. You must be Korra's friends." She smiled politely, waved while still sitting in Korra's bed.

Korra began thinking she may need new friends because the two boys could not stop gawking at the woman in her bed. Opal didn't even notice her boyfriend looking at another woman because she was just as transfixed. "Hey!" Korra snapped her fingers in front of them, jerking their gazes to dart around, trying to seem innocent.

Asami just sat coolly by. "Don't be so hard on them, sweetie. Mako's plan worked, didn't it?"

"Yeah," the athletic woman said back, then turned to her three friends-turned- intruders, and raised her fist. "Thank fuck it did or you would not have lived for this long, I swear to god–"

"Korra," Asami scolded.

Her girlfriend sighed. "Sorry."

Opal stood up and walked over to Asami. "Hi," she introduced herself. "I'm Opal."

"Hello Opal." Asami lifted the hand she waved with, keeping her left on the sheet covering her torso, and shook the fellow green-eyed woman's hand.

The two brothers followed example and greeted the raven-haired beauty. Bolin then asked about the elephant in the room, in typical Bolin fashion. "So Asami, you're Korra's girlfriend?"

"That is correct," Asami happily confirmed, without hesitation.

The room went uncomfortably silent, as if struggling to believe what this goddess had just said. Korra stood in the corner with her flustered face in her palms. She resolved to take matters into her own hands and strode towards the group and her girlfriend. "Alright! Well, this was fun. I think we've had enough of you for another week and we'd love it if you could do us a favor and just leave us alone. Please, I can't deal with this anymore. You made enough of a mess for us to clean up."

The sacred three came back to reality after getting stuck in some sort of inexplicable trance, then they laughed as their irritated friend shoved them out of the bedroom. When they were in the kitchen, after stepping carefully between the littered pages on Korra's floor, they hugged the woman who had been leading them out. She was surprised enough to forget her annoyance, then embraced them back.

"I'm glad things worked out," Mako spoke first. "I'm sorry Korra, I shouldn't have gone and sent that letter without your consent."

"No, you shouldn't have." Korra agreed. "But you're lucky it went so well. Just knock next time, okay?"

"I would say you should close the door, but I'm guessing you didn't have time," Opal smiled.

They all laughed together in the group-hug. "Congratulations, Korra," Bolin said. "Asami's a real catch, she's perfect for you."

"Thanks," Korra replied, significantly more chipper. "I'll see you guys 'round okay?"

"'Course Korra."

Her three friends offered their goodbye's before exiting the apartment, shutting the door properly.

Asami took her chance and strutted up behind her new girlfriend and slipped slender arms around that alluring waist. She trailed affectionate kisses on the nape of her neck. Korra leaned into the hug and tilted her neck to give more access to the heiress. Eventually they met face to face and engaged in a loving lip-lock. They parted with blossoming fire in the pits of their bellies, fluttering eyelids, and fascinating eye contact. Asami's hands had roamed to Korra's abs to feel her lover under the thin white tank-top she wore.

"They seem nice."

_"Hah,_ as long as they're not staring at you with those wolfish looks."

"I hadn't noticed."

"Really now? You loved the attention."

"No. I want you and you only," Asami whispered hungrily and tightened her grip.

Korra grinned and turned in Asami's pale arms to passionately kiss her girl full on the mouth.


	4. Chapter 4

"...and this is the first one you ever sent me."

"You saved all of my letters, ever since then?"

"Yup," Korra proudly proclaimed. "Must be at least a dozen boxes filled with them."

"I'm impressed," Asami admitted, "but it's not nearly as extensive as my collection."

"...Care to elaborate?"

"I think you could probably fill up my entire closet."

"_Your_ huge-ass, walk-in closet filled with expensive clothes? Wow, didn't think I sent that many."

"And I don't know how we made it for so long without meeting each other," Asami said and they shared a smile.

The two women had been repacking Korra's cardboard boxes for an hour, re-filling them with all the letters that lied scattered on the floor. A stack of them went spread out and unorganized when her friends came breaking-and-entering into her apartment.

"This' all for three years total though. Imagine if we'd kept going for three more!" Korra laughed and failed to notice how her new girlfriend also laughed, though less jovially, eyes slightly downcast. "Aww, look at this one, I remember this!" the girl continued, completely oblivious. "A poem you sent." Korra winked and read the lines, eyes scanning the page. "If only I'd known it was about me..." she sighed like the love-sick teenager she was at heart.

"Give me that!" Asami said, all of a sudden agitated and red-faced. Korra laughed again and let the embarrased woman rip it out of her hands. "Let's finish this so we can go out." She hurried cataloging the flowery letter back in its designated box labeled _March, 2013. _Two years ago she sent that, she kind of regretted it back then and she most certainly regrets it now.

"Are you asking me on a date, Sato?" Korra cocked a teasing eyebrow and grinned wry.

Asami blushed warmer, letting out a cough. "Well, we haven't even had a first date yet and we already fucked," she retorted.

That was Korra's cue to turn blood-hot. Pounding her chest and coughing, she recovered, sporting a small scowl in response to the challenging smirk on Asami's lips.

* * *

Exactly like she remembered it; that's how the dance club was, and Korra hated it, but now she also kind of liked it, which made her hate it even more. The crap music remained consistent and thumping throughout the dark, dingy basement-like interiors. This is where Korra got so drunk that she couldn't even walk, talk, but still be able to write 'I love you' in a confessional letter. Thank god Mako was sober enough not to send the letter to Kuvira or somebody else, 'cause that would've been a headache on top of the one she was then already enduring... That hangover was the worst one she'd ever had and she's already back here again, but with Asami. After finding out what Mako had done and then leaving him rightfully guilty in the dust, she ran home and cursed Bolin and Opal out of the apartment and threw up in the toilet again out of regret, fear, and disgust at herself for doing that to her friends, writing that to Asami, and for being such a failure.

But those worries were all in the past because Asami was here, grabbing her hand and confidently striding inside the club, then appropriately wrinkling her nose at the noise blasting from the speakers. Her hips carried her with an unconscious sway and _thank god_ Asami reciprocated or Korra's life would genuinely be over. Pen pals like this girl don't really grow on trees.

They grabbed drinks from the bar whilst talking all the way. Korra confirmed, sadly, that this was the place that started it all. Even though the volume of the 'music' seemed to increase for every second they spent in there, her girlfriend's laugh always overpowered it with a sound much more symphonic than any of the crap that's ever played in this rat-hole. Korra wanted to hear it again, but in a much quieter, more peaceful and comfortable space. She wanted to hear this woman cry, guffaw, moan, groan, shout, scream, cheer, and roar. Especially when she was the cause, because Asami's happy sounds were things of beauty (on top of everything else like her smell, her taste, her face, her everything... _God, what did I do in a past life to deserve her?_ And they should be recorded and kept safe for all eternity so as to not lose an important piece of history; how Asami Sato came to be Korra's. The flutters in her belly were reminders to treasure each moment with this, her girl.

"I love you," she blurted.

Asami just looked at her with open eyes, so before she could get lost in them, Korra repeated herself, hopefully just loud enough for her lover to hear but no one else. She kept receiving confused shakes of the head and raised shoulders. Her red lips were easy to read in the darkness: _"I can't hear what you're saying."_ The shorter woman took initiative and bent forward, placing her hands gently over Asami's cheeks and covering her ears. The woman's stunned expression and heating face between dark palms inflicted on the athlete's heart the opposite of a skipped heartbeat. It made Korra's blood-pumping organ do something of a double-pound, and form a pleasant and fast tingling that spread throughout her entire being. Not sure how healthy of an effect that was, it still made Korra feel alive and want more, wanted to give as well. She placed a reverent kiss right on the flawless skin on the crown of Asami's head. The sentence was repeated:

"I love you."

The heiress' red lips had literally paled in comparison to the rest of her face. She nodded quickly and appreciatively, smiling. "_Love you too,"_ she had mouthed. Korra grinned like a proper idiot.

The taller and older woman sat on her bar stool, freshly cut fingers grasping a shot glass in her left hand—the one she uses to write immaculate letters and design cars. The engineer flicked her pinky out as she drank, because even in a saucy place like this, her elegant mannerisms stayed. They were deeply ingrained in her genius brain; tendencies that the genial, yet sometimes crude, Korra, could and should learn. But maybe not. Asami loved Korra because she was a different breed than the boring status quo that populated formal socialite events, which the heiress had to attend at her father's behest. Besides, that drink appeared exquisite but holy crap it wasn't.

Korra instantly regretted ever asking if she could try it. Some tastes she's learned that you acquire over time, like drinking raw eggs every morning before going on a run. This concoction must have taken Asami at least a decade to even manage stomaching because holy hell it was making her internally convulse on the spot and _where is the goddamn bathroom?! _Really uncomfortable and really in an emergency, Korra leaned forward again and hastily declared she needed to find the water closet because such fine language was only appropriate for her queen.

For the third time this week, Korra vomited. _I should become a pro at this instead,_ was one of the bizarre thoughts that floated through her head. _Professional regurgitator, is that a thing? Wouldn't surprise me..._

"Korra, babe? Are you okay in there?"

Apparently Asami had found her in the bathroom, located the stall in which she was currently kneeling in, and considerately asked about her well-being. _I'm so lucky_ she thought, before violently retching once again. Asami made a face at the door before pushing it aside and seeing her poor girlfriend ungracefully sat at the bowl, coughing. _You think there's a graceful way to hurl?_ Asami chided herself at the silly thoughts. She shouldn't have offered her drink to Korra. Her own reaction to the alcohol two years prior had left her bedridden for weeks, after which she vowed never to consume that devil-beverage again, then for some inexplicable reason she did so anyway, gradually developing immunity. Korra was showing a great amount of strength and resistance.

"I am never drinking that fucking shit again," she grumbled. _Okay then, maybe not._

On their way out, two guys that had spotted them earlier stood in their way. Clearly, her hand on Korra's waist did not tell the boys what they sorely needed to know.

"Hey baby," his disgusting, slurred voice broke through the music. "I'm feeling lonely tonight—" _Not this shit._

"Yeah, well why don't you go hang out with your boyfriend over there," Asami promptly responded, trying to push through but being stopped by thick arms and sausage fingers.

"Woah woah woah, hey...I'm obviously not gay—" he tried.

"But we are," Korra, still holding her stomach, reached around and wrapped her free arm around Asami's waist as well, staring down the two fools who looked dumbstruck at them. "Now get the fuck out of our way," she shoved them easily aside, bringing a slightly stunned Asami with her.

"Wh-What did you just say to me you fucking—!"

Korra was suddenly in his face, two inches and seconds away from knocking the lights out of him. "Finish that sentence and die," she threatened. Now even Asami was scared. She knew that Korra had temper issues, but it wasn't her fault, and slurs were something they'd both dealt with a lot in the past.

She spotted sweat forming on his forehead, but he kept up the cocky talk. "A fighter, huh?" He leered at Korra, looking her up and down, making Asami's stomach turn and Korra's teeth to grind. "In that case why don't you get on your knees and give me a blow to the head?"

That did it. A loud crack got everyone's attention turned in their direction. A couple loud screams sounded in the crowd over the banging music. In no time at all, the slimy creep lied knocked out on the ground, where his arms had swung around so wildly when Korra boxed him in the jaw that they looked broken in the way that they'd landed. His 'boyfriend' was crouching over him, shouting at them with hate in his eyes. "What the fuck! What the hell! Wh-what the shit...!" _That escalated quickly..._ She looked over at her girlfriend, who's knuckles were bloody—not her own—face pale, like she couldn't believe what she'd just done.

"Korra," she spoke in her ear. "Korra. Let's go," but Korra wouldn't budge, her nausea from earlier now doubled, and Asami had to pull on the muscular woman with all her strength.

Still, she was too heavy, and Asami did whatever she could to get through to the woman, and kissed her.


	5. Chapter 5

Korra has noticed plenty of times that most of her friends are intimidated by her, sadly. Though she fights for it to not be that way, and ironically it is _because_ she's had to fight all her life that she is this 150 pound powerhouse. But surprisingly, in the best way, Asami does not seem to be afraid of that. And yet...

"You know I was just kidding right?" the businesswoman seemed awkward and out of place, standing there in the ring with these huge maroon boxing gloves on her hands, regretting all decisions in life.

"Why?" Korra was already jumping around in her element, rapid footwork telling gravity to go fuck itself as she appeared to defy it. Those dark half-circles, tainting her determined sky eyes, faded into skin as she prepared to do what she loved. "You had martial arts training, didn't you?"

The older woman tried to argue. "Yeah...but that was self-_defense_. I only learned like, how to use an opponent's attacks back against them."

"Oh come on, loosen up." the fighter jabbed the air once-twice and did an uppercut. "I'm sure miss-prissy-rich-girl-who's-also-coincidentally-a-two-time-Kung-Fu-champion can throw a punch or two."

_Speaking of throwing punches...heavens above. The arms on that girl... _The heiress reined in her senses and _god, when's the last time I've had thoughts like these?_ Asami was glad that her girl was showing some of her usual spirit, but fighting was the last thing she'd expected (from her pro-fighter girlfriend, she noted). Especially after what happened last night—which was the precise reason Asami had suggested they do something else today, as a distraction—after having woken up next to an exhausted and defeated looking Korra who wouldn't talk about it. (So imagine her surprise when the younger girl suggested sparring.) "Korra, I'm serious." She placed the glove on her hip to emphasize her point, where it almost slid off.

"So am I." The fighter paused in her warm-up to properly face her girlfriend. "I won't hurt you, and I know you won't intentionally hurt me. Besides, we've got protective gear, so don't go easy on me!" Korra certainly wasn't planning to. Not with the possibility of ending up with her head between those long legs of Asami's (in a different situation she wouldn't have minded), which could probably work as human nutcrackers, in more ways than one.

The heiress did loosen up the longer Korra went on. "So, lemme get this straight," Asami said and saw her lover snicker behind a midnight blue mitten—making her internally swoon at the small musical sound—so she couldn't help but eyeroll and grin herself. "You want _me_, a civil engineer, to fight a welterweight boxer?" Even as the engineer said this, her confidence grew by the second as she looked down at the '_marginally'_ (as Korra put it) shorter woman.

"Yep!" Korra nodded with finality, made rigid her spine and raised fists, the dullness that used to be in her gaze wasting away. A moment passed between the two athletes. Asami remained unsure but still got into her stance, dreading what was to come.

When Mako found them, he stayed in the shadows. The two women appeared to be getting hot 'n heavy on the matted floor, but upon closer inspection he realized they were grappling. Both decked head-to-toe in heavy gear, they were showing impressive agility with all the impediments. Korra had managed to get her thighs locked around the heiress' neck, but wasn't pushing like she usually did, not using full force, and eventually allowing Asami to come loose and perform a quite remarkable switch in position.

They ended up in another strained, compromising position, struggling for control, and then all of a sudden one of them let out a loud—sensual, even—moan. The dojo went silent. Deathly still. Mako-the-detective-with-impeccable-timing remained in hiding, embarrased face blooming with rosy color. He heard movement. Then...

"W-what the f-f-fuck...?" Korra stuttered in a shaking voice, stammered and panted.

The policeman peeked around the corner, seeing Asami had readjusted and was leaning atop her girlfriend whose body quaked. "Oh my god, Korra are you okay?! Wait—did you just...?" the woman's face slowly emerged into a wide ecstatic grin. "Holy crap, you did! You had an E-I-O!"

For a moment there Mako thought the businesswoman was gonna break out into song, singing 'Old Macdonald had a farm' or something. His quivering friend on the ground echoed his thoughts. "A-a w-what?"

"An exercise induced orgasm!" Asami explained shamelessly and anyone, but her, would have been totally embarrassed. Her eyes glowed instead. "This is so _fascinating_. I've never had that happen to me. If only I knew it was this easy to get you underneath me..."

Korra swallowed, cheeks burning, the piercing white heat in her belly the root of her constant shivering. "I-it's never happened to me either. H-how do you know about it? Or better yet, how do I not know about it? This is what I do for a living!"

"I'm not just an engineer, Korra," the genius winked and Korra's eyes slipped shut. Asami pulled off the restrictive boxing gloves and moved so she was closer atop the fidgeting athlete and could scan her love's magnificent form. The small space in-between their bodies felt hot. "How do you feel then?" she purred.

The fighter's head rolled back then, exposing her long tan neck, small whimpers escaping her as she tried to breathe evenly. "It's _still_ going on..." Her whole body writhed as if in discomfort, when it was anything but.

Asami's voice lowered as she crept nearer, a salty scent reminding her of ocean waves. "You're soo _sexy_..." She couldn't stop a hand from trailing up the woman's side, to which Korra's breath hitched, especially when a pair of ruby lips grazed her jaw.

Suddenly a loud bang reverberated through the hall, startling them both.

People stared as a breathless young man with red fire flaming his face stumbled out onto the morning, early-autumn street. He adjusted his scathing collar and wiped the seeping sweat off his brow, 'cause clearly what he had to say would have to wait a while and Lin would not be too happy about those news. Recomposing himself as well as could be, ready to face the next monster, Mako trod back to the patrol vehicle, thinking he'd just leave and then wait for his friend...to learn to lock the goddamn door.

The biggest surprise of all though was he expected to find the girls a lot more gloomy today, considering what had happened just last night. But he supposes he can't be mad at Korra for finally being a little happy for once, and Mako thanks Raava for Asami.

* * *

"_Korra, let's go," said the gentle voice in her right ear among horrified gasps in the absence of loud music._

"_Korra, you have to leave," yelled the desperate voice in her left ear as fire crackled around them. "It's too dangerous for you!"_

_But Korra never wanted to leave. She wanted to stay and fight. But the fight followed her here, where she was supposed to be safe, in this new town with new friends. And a new girl._

_Asami._

_Korra couldn't react to this sudden turn of events, she had to keep the secret... __He__ didn't seem to recognize her anyway. Weak bastard was too drunk. Not sure if he even registered her impulsively knocking him out. But his coward brother sure did, shouted "Amon!" and checked for pulse at the neck every five seconds. He drew the attention of the whole bar so she couldn't move, for fear of being found out. Couldn't fight or run. Regret pulsed at the back of her mind. She needed a distraction...she needed_—

"—Asami Sato!"

Korra jerked awake, leaning on the shoulder of the person who'd just been called out.

"Kya, good to see you!" replied Asami Sato. "Oh, I think we woke Korra."

Blearily, the tanned woman saw another tan woman with a hand stretched out before her. "Sorry 'bout that. It's nice to meet you," said Kya.

"Uh, you too," Korra sat up and shook the hand firmly, "Doctor," she added as she spotted the white coat and name tag.

"Apologies for disturbing you," Kya began. Korra disagreed. She'd fallen asleep, on Asami, and Asami hadn't woken her when they were supposed to be respectfully waiting. Although she supposed it didn't matter too much when her girlfriend knew this clearly very important person.

Nobody but important people knew Asami Sato.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you two doing here...together?" Kya finished, and added an almost imperceptible wink towards the heiress, who blushed easily. If Korra wasn't so tired and had actually gotten any sleep last night, she would've have noticed.

Speaking of late last night, Asami had coaxed her girl into bed where she still wasn't able to fall into slumber until early in the morning. But Korra still woke up a few hours later and couldn't get back to sleep, so they decided to start they day anyway. And as to why they were here, they'd gotten an urgent call from a very nervous sounding Mako, telling them to come as soon as they could. Then for some reason he quickly rephrased that sentence and told them to "_arrive_ at the hospital at earliest possible convenience" instead. He told them the purpose of their visit was because things needed to be sorted out, which, if Asami had any say (which she obviously did) in anything, that guy would have to try his damnedest to get to Korra, and a sleazebag like him was no match for a Sato.

Korra answered Kya's question. "Uh, we were waiting for someone to take us into the ward."

"Ah. Seeing a family member?" the doctor watched both girls.

The question gave Korra pause as she stared tiredly somewhere else, and it took a while before she looked back into those other blues. It felt like it'd been so long since she'd seen another person of her heritage who didn't have this hate on their mind that she had to fight against. These eyes were kind and helpful, non-judging, and unwavering. So when Korra was ready, she had no answer, but a question. "Are you North, or South?" she gently asked.

The question gave Kya pause. "South," her words slipped through suddenly gritted teeth.

Korra could offer this placation: "The man we're seeing is from the North. So no. Not family." _But it used to be_.

Asami watched confused as two of the only people in the world she knew and could trust, held their silent eye-contact.

Right then, a policeman decided to make his entrance. He...salutes them? Korra couldn't find it in her though to smile when Mako realized what he was doing and made a face that looked as foolish as he probably felt. "Um... I'm here to take you to him."

As they walked, Mako watched conflicted as his good friend and her girlfriend barely even held hands when they followed him down the hall. They were somber, and it seemed like Asami was actively giving Korra space. And behind them a doctor followed, looking equally sorrowful. He thinks he's seen her at the station before, but can't quite put his finger on when and where. Automatically the brain that made him a detective went to work, trying to figure out based on these clues what had gone wrong since he last saw Korra and Asami this morning.

But Korra just watched annoyed as Mako very obviously tried to piece together their scene. Not even conjuring up the image of steam billowing out of his ears as he thought too hard for his own good could help save her mood. _He's about to find out more than he may want to,_ she thought as they made it to the right (read: wrong) place.

Kya peeked over the shoulders of this group of young'uns, glaring through the window at the man as they all stood outside the room.

"I thought he was from the South initially," she said to no one in specific. "Not a lot northerners around here in this part of the Earth Kingdom."

"Why's that?" Mako asked.

She replied, "Because we had to run."

* * *

"_Your visitors should be here in a moment, Mr. Amon," _his very friendly doctor had told him.

His brother however by the bedside was just mad at everything, and if he looked at you it was like he could move your arm by will and make you punch yourself in the gut if he really wanted to. The doctor attending to him wasn't fazed by Tarrlok's foolishness though.

If Amon wasn't mistaken, the doctor—Kya, as she was named—and the Chief of Police had a thing. But what Lin Beifong did with her life was none of his business, even though he wasn't particularly in favor of it. Ba Sing Se was very different from the Northern Water Tribe. And he was pretty sure that Kya had no clue where he was actually from, otherwise he would not be treated so nicely. Just the same way that if they were somewhere else in the world, she would not be treated so nicely if people knew what she was doing.

His back stung. As soon as he winced, Tarrlok would be there every time, worse than a dog's tongue slobbering in your face after you'd had the finest of arctic hen. "Just go get some tea or something if you're that restless, I'm fine!" He'd said before his sibling left the room in haste. The police—Chief Lesbian and some other tall and brooding guy—had given him more bad news. Apart from his broken spine, which he still didn't even remember how it had happened, the one who ruined him was now coming to see him when he could barely move a limb. To finish him off perhaps.

No matter. He had the protection of law enforcement and was looking forward to pressing charges on whomever had manhandled him.

A click came from the door, and he turned to face blue eyes that were not his brother's arriving with refreshments, but a pair belonging to a stranger who was strangely familiar.

Behind the intimidating woman followed another, a picture-perfect beauty, and accompanying her he guessed was a boyfriend—that depressing detective from earlier, probably here to take notes for his lawyer and keep things under control. Or so Amon hoped. He looked instinctively towards the windowed door, only to see his doctor in a heated conversation with the Chief. He could guess what that was about.

"Amon, is it?"

_That voice..._ Its commanding tone ripped his gaze from the arguing happening in the hall just beyond the wall. This woman's eyes had bags under them, but were filled with rage. If he wasn't mistaken, that was all directed at him.

"Y-yes...?" Why was this woman interrogating him? She was the one who'd disabled him, no? Shouldn't he be the angry one? The stinging was back, growing in tandem with his confusion. Those icy pearls bored into him and he started sweating and squirming as the hospital bed begun to feel very inhospitable.

It only got worse when the—southern, he determined—woman leaned forward menacingly and spoke, "Lie to my face again. I dare you."

From the corner of his own blue eye, Amon spotted the two people looking surprised, but none of them were gonna make a move to force this unusually muscular girl away from him. Try as they might, both of them would probably not be enough.

"No," he cleared his throat. "No...it isn't."

"Tell them who you are."

Just then, both Lin and Kya entered the room, locking it. The whole thing was maddening. Should he be recognizing these people, because that southerner possibly knew who he actually was? The doctor, judging by the new animosity in her formerly amicable personality, now obviously knew more too, and had gotten the Chief on her side. And that locked door...he regretted sending Tarrlok away for he was alone against everyone, as he always seemed to end up.

Swallowing, he summoned whatever dignity he had, producing a simple response in the deepest, manliest voice he knew that he had. "I am Noatak, Son of Unalaaq, Prince of the Northern Water Tribe," he said proudly before these five people, as if they would bow to him.

The doctor's, Chief's, and southerner's eyes all narrowed, but the eyes of the detective and his girlfriend widened. Both of them scanned the other's faces to discover they were the only ones surprised by this fact, and worriedly met each other's, then the black-haired girl looked over to the person who had forced his true identity forward, who in turn looked at _him_ fiercely.

"Do you remember who I am?" The short-haired one asked. Did she have a secret identity as well? He would have loved to pay the favor back, but since he could not even remember what happened last night, and this person was the cause of it, he gave up and shook his head. She became even more irate.

As opposed to Kya's warm hand as Korra shook it, everything about Noatak was as cold as the place he came from, and she couldn't see her old friend anywhere in that cold face. It was fucked honestly, that this boy she once knew tried to _get with her_ last night. And to be truthful she was afraid, and the confidence she'd put up was wavering even though they clearly outnumbered him and he was...a cripple. Korra had done that to him. No matter the things he'd done to her in the past, she knew she'd be unable to forgive herself for having put another person in this agony, regardless of how much they may deserve it.

She had never chosen to leave the South, in fact she was forced against her own will and the regret has eaten away at her soul as she never got to stay and fight. So Korra ran away and would like to say she never looked back but...she never even got the chance to.

Noatak saw how the big, frightening warrior from before was wilting away into something much more vulnerable. Her expression was pained, and it scared him how much he recognized it. And it all made sense once she spoke these words: "I'm Korra. Princess of the Southern Water Tribe. Daughter of the late Chiefs Tonraq and Senna."

A gasp told him that the detective's girl was even more surprised by this reveal than his of own. He still didn't know why she was there apart from being with her man, but none of this actually crossed his mind at first because he was too busy dealing with the onslaught of memories.

Korra was crying softly now, salty tears watering her familiar brown cheeks. "Have you come to finish the job?" she whispered and slowly fell to her knees.

Noatak had to force himself to focus and glue back his jaw. His whole outlook had just changed in an instant. "I—I'm... Korra, I can't believe it's you... You're so different..." _Not so_—_broken..._

No response.

"You've gotta understand. I've come to—"

"Kill the rest of my family?" she sobbed. "Because I'm all that's left thanks to your fucking dad!"

"No!" he tried. "No, please just listen...you have to—it wasn't my fault. There was a rebellion recently. God, that's why I came here." The prince really could use the help of Raava now.

"You followed me?" Korra's eyes fogged up even more, brows slanted dangerously and she yelled. "Why won't you just leave me alone?!"

"It's not that easy!" Noatak retorted. "I told my father I could stop them from fighting if I found you. So if..." he swallowed momentarily, still struggling to comprehend the whole situation. "If you came with me I could convince him to stop."

"WHAT, NO!" Korra raced back up to her feet. "You think after trying to _get in my pants_...after all the shit you put me through... I'll just give everything up and go—no! I'm tired of running, I'm staying here!"

_I did?_ But no time was there to dwell on that. He raised his voice in turn. "But—you can't!"

"And why not!?"

"Because if you don't marry me then I don't know _what_ the chief will do to your people!"

"Marry...?!" Korra stopped. "They are OUR people! We were never separate to begin with until Unalaaq started the war!"

"Don't you dare speak about my father like that!"

This time it was not a click at the door that made Noatak turn his head around. It was a full on smash that rattled the wood and metal, and it seemed Tarrlok had finally figured out he was locked out and there were people in there with his brother. The Chief reacted quickly. She pushed the door back out on him and Kya followed her swiftly outside, making sure he wouldn't be bothering them, and making sure the prince bitterly wish for his legs back. Instead Noatak settled for observing from his leaning position, the taller woman moved to comfort Korra, sitting her down and whispering mildly to her, green eyes sparing quick glances at him.

In only a couple of minutes, the prince of the North had been revealed as such, found out he accidentally bumped into the princess after weeks of searching, and had not behaved dignified for someone royal. And actually seeing Korra again, after so long... Once again Noatak could not, literally and figuratively, move. It crept up on him ever since he first woke up in stinging pain, that he would be stuck like this, regretting. It would not be possible for him to go home now, let alone bring the princess with him. His father will be furious.

Mako was much in the same dumbfounded position, having just overheard all of that, and like a detective, pieced together the clues over all his time knowing Korra.

In the hallway Lin had temporarily handcuffed Amon's brother, or Noatak's—whatever that piece of shit's name was, and Kya had locked off the ward for the duration. They still worked great as a team, but neither could shake off how pleasantly they'd treated a murderer and betrayer.

Meanwhile, crouching down uncomfortably on her haunches, Asami wiped at her girlfriend's sadness so she could see clearer. "_Korra,_" she whispered. The woman in question focused sadly on the face of her loved one, so the heiress could be reminded that she would not be getting tired of sharing eye-contact with Korra anytime soon in this life. She wasn't religious and believed not in Raava, but loved the thought of spirits crossing dimensions and universes to be with each other, and she hoped that was true for them.

"_Korra, look at me._"

"_I'm sorry for lying to you,_" she whispered back.

"_Uhh...you don't have to apologize for that._" Asami was not expecting those to be the first words spoken to her. "_You okay?_" she asked, for this was about Korra, not her own worries.

Korra looked away.

"_Hey, I understand why you didn't tell me._"

"_Not just you. I didn't tell anyone._" Like she has many people to tell.

"_And I'm sure your friends understand too. All of us have known you for a long time after all. Well, me only for a while in person, but I like to think no one knows as much about you as I do. Maybe I know more about you than you yourself do."_

Korra gave a small smile and rose. _That's probably true,_ she thought but didn't say. After helping the heiress back up, and with drier eyes, she watched Noatak watching them. What Korra said then had Asami sighing internally, eternally.

"I'm not leaving. I'll never leave 'Sami."

So the detective did not have this, Asami, as a significant other. That didn't really surprise Noatak. But he never imagined Korra would be on the side of "Equality"—some movement preaching equal rights for same-sex relationships—the most preposterous thing he had ever heard of. He'd grown up learning about the places in the world that supported this, and was cautioned that if he ever saw it to not be enticed by Vaatu's forbidden fruit. Now he'd met two of those couples in one day in the same room.

"If you don't go I'll press charges."

"Go ahead," Korra said, gripping the hand of the woman beside her and thought briefly of the night before. "Tons of people already have, just like you when they found about us."

"Fine then, write it," he faced the detective. But Mako was reluctant to do so. "What are you waiting for?!" Noatak shouted.

Mako looked to his friend, remorseful. Korra knew he couldn't do anything about it and her friend angrily noted the allegation.

"Send a lawyer after you," the prince told the trio as they left.

Tarrlok was released once Lin spotted them. The northerner sent evil stares at them and went straight to his brother, shoving the door closed.

Now that was over and Mako detailed things for his boss, and Kya allowed traffic back into the ward, Korra placed a palm over her forehead. It was like she was suffering from sleep deprivation and a hangover all at the same time. _What a mess._

"I'm so sorry about all of this. I should never have dragged you into this."

"What? Korra for fuck's sake I said there's no need for apologies." Asami said this and Korra had to check if she was mad, but the woman was smiling. "I'm in this with you."

The younger girl sighed and just felt that hand on her bare shoulder. "I won't leave, you know. I promise. Especially not for a prick that won't stand up for the right thing." _It'll never be the same anyway, and nothing good would come out of me marrying him,_ Korra tried to rationalize. But still...the war wasn't going to end anytime soon.

"Never thought you would." Asami opened her arms.

Korra hugged her lover like her life depended on it. At the moment it was, and she experienced the remaining energy seep out of her body as she soaked up the warmth of another person who cared about her. She spoke her fears into the shoulder. "I'm gonna lose my license."

That shoulder started becoming a bit wet, and the engineer felt so guilty. Conflicted, because she had kissed Korra to distract her when she was seemingly frozen in place, lost in the sea of sudden people. Clearly the person Korra battered down deserved it because of how he had affected her, and Asami felt she had to do something even though she didn't understand it in that moment (after today however she's gathered ample amounts of information on what place Noatak might have in Korra's past). That kiss understandably made people think Asami did it as a reward for Korra for assaulting someone. Those charges were her fault—not because people were against homosexuals. Those charges weren't going to cost her a dime—but instead Korra's only way to fight for her people.

"Oh my god. Korra, I'm so sorry," she paused when she heard a sniffle from below. "Will you ever forgive me?"

"Why are you apologizing?" There was no anger in Korra's voice, concern.

"If I had never come to Ba Sing Se this would've never happened." Her brows furrowed. "If I had just stayed at home or not try to help all the time we wouldn't have gone to that club, I wouldn't have made you drink that disgusting fucking drink that even _I_ hate, you wouldn't have puked _again_, and you would never even have met that prince or lose your license—!"

"Asami." Korra silenced the blabbering mouth of the lovely engineering genius with a short peck on the cheek. "You overthink things too much," she chuckled. "You're just like Mako sometimes. Look, you think this is your fault, right?"

Asami was still stunned by that brief but wonderful lip-lock. "Well, yes of course it is—"

"No it isn't. Mako said the same thing when he..." she trailed off. "Whatever, forget about Mako. The point is...I think this was meant to happen. You know, like destiny or fate or something?" Korra's permanent frown she'd been carrying all day wasn't there anymore, like she'd figured something out just by looking at Asami.

"Yes," Asami was immeasurably happy that Korra had said that. "I do...get that."

"There's an old legend, actually I'll tell you about it later but essentially the moral of the story is that no matter how bad things get, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel."

"Okay?"

They broke apart when Korra checked her phone. "When are you leaving?"

Asami was getting a bit tired of getting her expectations flipped around by Korra all the time. "I don't really feel like thinking about that now?" She hugged her own body, at the same time as she reminded herself that Korra's spontaneity was part of the fun of being with her.

The shorter girl's mouth comically gaped as if hearing her thoughts. "That's not what I meant!" Korra tried to explain herself.

Asami tried not to laugh. She could play with the other woman's expectations too. "Relax Korra," she said and did so with her own posture as well. Only they could go from somber to happy in seconds.

They both giggled, then Korra attempted again to say what she meant. "Even though I'll lose my professional license, I can still fight. I can go with you."

That's when it dawned on Asami, and she timidly asked. "To Republic City?"

Korra made a noise, that if put into letters would look something like: PFFT. "A choice between coming with him and you? Easiest decision I've ever made in my life."

Asami laughed.

"Hey, can I interrupt you two, _again_?" Kya cringed while approaching, but smiled her usual friendly smile. The couple looked over and smiled in return to the doctor who...bowed? "It's an honor."

The princess was so stunned it took her a while to return the formal greeting. She coughed. "Um, please. You don't have to do that."

Kya ignored her. "Don't worry, we all know what happened four years ago. You have our utmost respect, and deepest condolences. Your parents were the greatest chiefs we've ever had."

"Thanks," Korra simply said, desperate to move on to a different topic. "So. How do you two know each other?"

"Where do I start..." Kya began. "Let's just say, your girlfriend built this hospital."

_Yep, I can definitely play with Korra's mind,_ Asami thought when she saw the raw awe freely displayed on Korra's face. The priceless reactions the southern woman could produce amused her more than anything.

Even Kya thought the princess looked hilarious. "So you know, you definitely picked the right person. She's got money to last you til the end of time."

Asami would've retorted if the Chief of Police hadn't interjected. "Pick up your jaw off the floor, _Your Highness_."

"Oh. It's great to see you too, Chief," Korra replied sarcastically. At least the old hag didn't seem to be mad that she'd lied, Asami was right as usual.

"How's my niece?" Lin questioned.

"Why don't you just ask your 'son'?"

"I did. Told him to keep his brother in line if he wanted to keep his job."

"Don't worry. Bolin would never do anything to Opal."

Once Korra finished her sentence, a certain detective called out to the chief that they were needed at the station.

Lin rolled her eyes and got a goodbye from Kya who then walked off to her duties. Mako approached them next. "Uh...so, you guys probably heard that right? I gotta go, so I'll...talk to you later I guess." He looked to Korra and offered her a hug. Asami didn't hear it, but he whispered something. When pulling away, he looked at them both, hesitantly. "Um—lock the door next time, kay?" Then it looked like he wanted to add more, but time or some other otherworldly forces kept him from doing so and he just stiffly turned around and stalked off.

And once that painfully awkward and bewildering conversation was over, Korra dropped into her seat next to Asami in her rusty, green Cabbage-mobile, making sure to lock the doors? (For how much she was thankful for him as a great friend, Mako really perplexed her sometimes.) The afternoon was just beginning but it felt like they'd spent the day...doing something taxing—god they were both too tired to think, let alone come up with any contrived similes.

On Asami's mind was that one day, the businesswoman would get her girlfriend a new car, a real car. A Satomobile of course. Maybe a custom one, blue. Then they could go anywhere... "About what you said...earlier."

"Is that okay?"

"Umm, only if it is for you?"

She sighed. _I'm not running this time, I'm leaving voluntarily._ "I've had a hard time realizing that this fight is bigger than me, because I'm so stubborn I never ask for help but...I would never have gotten through today without you. Maybe I can find another way to help in Republic City, but right now I can't afford to lose you, knowing how much I depend on you. I wanna say thank Raava, although she has nothing to do with this, it's all you."

Asami was not obviously not expecting a speech like that. "I—I need you too, Korra."

The princess grabbed the hand of the heiress, ready to send her mind elsewhere with the help of her love. "Take me for a spin?"

A kiss answered her queries.


End file.
